43 research outputs found

    Rural Credit Cooperatives RCCs Financial System and Role in Economic Development of China

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    This paper reviews and study of RCCs financial system and role in economic development of China. RRCs are important reforms of china. It improves the performance consistently every year and constituted about 12.3 % all financial loans in China. Rural Credit Cooperatives Development in China constituted an integral and important part of rural reforms in China. Keywords: Rural Credit Cooperatives, Financial system, Economic development, Reform

    Language Ability Accounts for Ethnic Difference in Mathematics Achievement

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    The mathematics achievement of minority students has always been a focal point of educators in China. This study investigated the differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority pupils to determine if there is any cognitive mechanism that can account for the discrepancy. We recruited 236 Han students and 272 minority students (including Uygur and Kazak) from the same primary schools. They were tested on mathematics achievement, language abilities, and general cognitive abilities. The results showed that Han pupils had better mathematics achievement scores and better Chinese language ability than minority students. After controlling for age, gender, and general cognitive abilities, there were still significant differences in mathematics achievement between Han and minority students. However, these differences disappeared after controlling for language ability. These results suggest that the relatively poor levels of mathematics achievement observed in minority students is related to poor Chinese language skills

    Improved laccase production by Trametes versicolor using Copper-Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine as a novel and high-efficient inducer

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    A highly efficient strategy using Copper-Glycyl-L-Histidyl-L-Lysine (GHK-Cu) as a novel inducer was developed to enhance laccase production by Trametes versicolor. After medium optimization, laccase activity increased by 12.77-fold compared to that without GHK-Cu. The laccase production of 1113.8 U L−1 was obtained by scaling-up culture in 5-L stirring tank. The laccase production induced by CuSO4 was poorer than that of GHK-Cu at the same mole concentration. GHK-Cu could increase the permeability of cell membrane with less damage, and it facilitated the adsorption, accumulation, and utilization of copper by fungal cells, which was beneficial for laccase synthesis. GHK-Cu induced better expression of laccase related genes than that of CuSO4, resulting in higher laccase production. This study provided a useful method for induced production of laccase by applying GHK chelated metal ion as a non-toxic inducer, which reduced the safety risk of laccase broth and provided the potential application of crude laccase in food industry. In addition, GHK can be used as the carrier of different metal ions to enhance the production of other metalloenzymes

    5-HT2A receptor signalling through phospholipase D1 associated with its C-terminal tail

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    The 5-HT2AR (5-hydroxytryptamine-2A receptor) is a GPCR (G-protein-coupled receptor) that is implicated in the actions of hallucinogens and represents a major target of atypical antipsychotic agents. In addition to its classical signalling though PLC (phospholipase C), the receptor can activate several other pathways, including ARF (ADP-ribosylation factor)-dependent activation of PLD (phospholipase D), which appears to be achieved through a mechanism independent of heterotrimeric G-proteins. In the present study we show that wild-type and inactive constructs of PLD1 (but not PLD2) respectively facilitate and inhibit ARF-dependent PLD signalling by the 5-HT2AR. Furthermore we demonstrate that PLD1 specifically co-immunoprecipitates with the receptor and binds to a distal site in GST (glutathione transferase) fusion protein constructs of its C-terminal tail which is distinct from the ARF-interaction site, thereby suggesting the existence of a functional ARF-PLD signalling complex directly associated with this receptor. This reveals the spatial co-ordination of an important GPCR, transducer and effector into a physical complex that is likely to reinforce the impact of receptor activation on a heterotrimeric G-protein-independent signalling pathway. Signalling of this receptor through such non-canonical pathways may be important to its role in particular disorders

    Characterization of an aspartate aminotransferase encoded by YPO0623 with frequent nonsense mutations in Yersinia pestis

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    Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is a genetically monomorphic bacterial pathogen that evolved from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis approximately 7,400 years ago. We observed unusually frequent mutations in Y. pestis YPO0623, mostly resulting in protein translation termination, which implies a strong natural selection. These mutations were found in all phylogenetic lineages of Y. pestis, and there was no apparent pattern in the spatial distribution of the mutant strains. Based on these findings, we aimed to investigate the biological function of YPO0623 and the reasons for its frequent mutation in Y. pestis. Our in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that the deletion of YPO0623 enhanced the growth of Y. pestis in nutrient-rich environments and led to increased tolerance to heat and cold shocks. With RNA-seq analysis, we also discovered that the deletion of YPO0623 resulted in the upregulation of genes associated with the type VI secretion system (T6SS) at 26°C, which probably plays a crucial role in the response of Y. pestis to environment fluctuations. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis showed that YPO0623 has high homology with a PLP-dependent aspartate aminotransferase in Salmonella enterica, and the enzyme activity assays confirmed its aspartate aminotransferase activity. However, the enzyme activity of YPO0623 was significantly lower than that in other bacteria. These observations provide some insights into the underlying reasons for the high-frequency nonsense mutations in YPO0623, and further investigations are needed to determine the exact mechanism

    High H<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> Adsorption Capacity of a Highly Porous (2,3,4)-Connected Metal–Organic Framework

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    A porous metal–organic framework [Cu<sub>6</sub>(BDPP)<sub>3</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>6</sub>] (BDPP = 3,5-bis­(3,5-dicarboxylphenyl)-pyridine) (NJU-Bai10) was synthesized. NJU-Bai10 exhibits a high BET surface area of 2883 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>–1</sup>, the highest excess H<sub>2</sub> volumetric adsorption of 48.0 g L<sup>–1</sup> (60 bar, 77 K), and a high methane uptake of 198.6 cm<sup>3</sup> cm<sup>–3</sup> that surpasses the DOE target

    Anemoside B4 Protects against Acute Lung Injury by Attenuating Inflammation through Blocking NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and TLR4 Dimerization

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    Acute lung injury (ALI) is an acute inflammatory process in the lung parenchyma. Anemoside B4 (B4) was isolated from Pulsatilla, a plant-based drug against inflammation and commonly applied in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the anti-inflammatory effect and the mechanisms of B4 are not clear. In this study, we explored the potential mechanisms and anti-inflammatory activity of B4 both in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that B4 suppressed the expression of iNOS, COX-2, NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL-1β. The ELISA assay results showed that B4 significantly restrained the release of inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in macrophage cells. In addition, B4 rescued mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) loss in (lipopolysaccharide) LPS plus ATP stimulated macrophage cells. Co-IP and molecular docking results illustrated that B4 disrupted the dimerization of TLR4. For in vivo results, B4 exhibited a protective effect on LPS and bleomycin- (BLM-) induced ALI in mice through suppressing the lesions of lung tissues, the release of inflammatory cytokines, and the levels of white blood cells, neutrophils, and lymphoid cells in the blood. Collectively, B4 has a protective effect on ALI via blocking TLR4 dimerization and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, suggesting that B4 is a potential agent for the treatment of ALI

    High H<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> Adsorption Capacity of a Highly Porous (2,3,4)-Connected Metal–Organic Framework

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    A porous metal–organic framework [Cu<sub>6</sub>(BDPP)<sub>3</sub>(H<sub>2</sub>O)<sub>6</sub>] (BDPP = 3,5-bis­(3,5-dicarboxylphenyl)-pyridine) (NJU-Bai10) was synthesized. NJU-Bai10 exhibits a high BET surface area of 2883 m<sup>2</sup> g<sup>–1</sup>, the highest excess H<sub>2</sub> volumetric adsorption of 48.0 g L<sup>–1</sup> (60 bar, 77 K), and a high methane uptake of 198.6 cm<sup>3</sup> cm<sup>–3</sup> that surpasses the DOE target

    A Variable-Volume Heart Model for Galvanic Coupling-Based Conductive Intracardiac Communication

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    Conductive intracardiac communication (CIC) has become one of the most promising technologies in multisite leadless pacemakers for cardiac resynchronization therapy. Existing studies have shown that cardiac pulsation has a significant impact on the attenuation of intracardiac communication channels. In this study, a novel variable-volume circuit-coupled electrical field heart model, which contains blood and myocardium, is proposed to verify the phenomenon. The influence of measurements was combined with the model as the equivalent circuit. Dynamic intracardiac channel characteristics were obtained by simulating models with varying volumes of the four chambers according to the actual cardiac cycle. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were carried out to verify the model&rsquo;s correctness. Among the dependences of intracardiac communication channels, the distance between pacemakers exerted the most substantial influence on attenuation. In the simulation and measurement, the relationship between channel attenuation and pulsation was found through the variable-volume heart model and a porcine heart. The CIC channel attenuation had a variation of less than 3 dB

    Development of a Simple Single-Acupoint Electroacupuncture Frame and Evaluation of the Acupuncture Effect in Rabbits

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    To reduce the circulation path of the output current of traditional electroacupuncture (TEA) process in the body, a simple single-acupoint electroacupuncture (SEA) frame was designed and the acupuncture effect of SEA was evaluated through Hou-san-li (ST-36) and Qian-san-li (LI-10) acupoints. Forty-two healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into seven groups and underwent acupuncture for 20 min in an awake state. Blood samples aseptically collected from the ear vein 3 h before acupuncture and 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h after acupuncture were used for the detection of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) and motilin (MTL) in serum. The simple SEA frame was developed successfully, and the acupuncture results showed that the serum AST and ALT levels were significantly higher at 3 h after TEA with high frequency (p &lt; 0.01) compared with the control group. Regarding serum CK-MB levels, no significant differences were found after SEA or TEA stimulation (p &gt; 0.05). Serum MTL levels were significantly increased at 0 h after SEA and TEA (p &lt; 0.05), but there were no significant differences at other time points after SEA and TEA treatment (p &gt; 0.05). SEA not only maintains the effect of TEA but also shortens the circulation loop of the electroacupuncture (EA) current in the body, which effectively avoids body injury
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